rap_sheet ([info]rap_sheet) wrote,
@ 2008-04-17 23:53:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
The Rap Sheet - BCW 3/28/2K8
The Rap Sheet – from the Mad Conservative
AWA Brew City Wrestling
3/28/2K8 Waukegan, WI

Long flight north for a weekend of video gaming…


Well, this was the time of year where I made a trip up to Wisconsin for the yearly Midwest Gaming Classic held in Oconomowoc. The event was moved up three months earlier than the previous year so that there would be fewer conflicts with folks booking rooms for weddings and other receptions, plus the nice weather in June usually has people run outside doing outdoor stuff. So late March allowed more people to book rooms and stay the weekend to do the gaming classic. There were a different set of vendors this time around than last year, glaringly missing was Atari Age which always had a big booth with a ton of homebrew games. Strangely not one of the local wrestlers down here who are way into gaming didn’t come up for this despite letting them know about it.

Since I was staying the weekend, decided to attend the wrestling event that was held nearby that Friday evening, which was Brew City Wrestling. I’ve attended one other event of theirs which also happened to be when the MGC was being held. Sometime or another BCW hooked up with the current version of the AWA which WWE is trying to have shut down because they’re supposedly using the name illegally. More on that later. Tickets to this event were pretty pricey at $20 a piece, which nearly matches the low end of WWE ticket prices. I thought it would actually hurt the draw, as I’ve witnessed folks around Springfield were not willing to pay more to see a wrestling show. Around the time when the show was supposed to start I counted about 85 people. For a city like Milwaukee, that’s not a lot of people to me, and lesser shows that I’ve been to have drawn a lot more. Supposedly the Brewers were playing that night, but I have a bit of trouble believing that drew people away. Official attendance including latecomers put a bit higher than that, 115 or so.

Live from the AMF Bowling Center, your ring announcer is someone who’s name I never got, and seems the ceiling appears lower than I recall it being. And people are allowed to smoke indoors! UGH! Illinois had banned indoor smoking and geez, the smoke filled the place forcing me to sit near an exit door where fresh air was coming in. I advise anyone reading this review to look at it from the standpoint of someone going in to see a show for the first time without knowledge of what happened at prior shows or what the running angles are. And that’s what any company has to deal with if they’re trying to lure new fans to watch their show.

BCW No Limits Championship
(c)Dysfunction vs. Justin Dredd – Dredd actually made it down to Springfield for the Brawl Between the Walls show a year ago. Dysfunction had me grabbing all my toys to avoid the brawl he was having the last time I came up. Armbars traded, Dredd shoots him off hitting a shoulderblock, Dys with a sunset flip for two. Dys with a rolling Samoan, standing moonsault gets two. Armwringers traded, Dys hops Dredd’s monkey flip attempt, but Dredd with a takedown and a standing moonsault of his own for two. Dredd with a shoulderblock, Dys with a dropkick, Dredd with a dropkick and a lot clothesline. Dredd with a leg jawbreaker (hey that was Kyle Rich’s move!), followed by a crossbody to the outside. Dredd with a slingshot legdrop for two. Victory roll attempt gets two. Charge to the corner misses, Dys gets a gut buster, then a fireman’s carry into another gut buster for two. Chops Dys, snap mare, punt, double kicks to the head, side kick to the head gets two. LOUD CHOP from Dys, headbutt, kick, sunset flip attempt is blocked, Dys with a double stomp for two. Chops traded, Dredd with the backcracker, dropkick, clothesline, more chops from Dredd. He goes up, but eats a superkick on the way down. Dys with a dropkick and clothesline, but Dredd with a STUNNER. Dredd hops on Dys’s shoulders but gets caught in a cannonball powerbomb for the pin.

WINNER and STILL CHAMP: Dysfunction pin -> 10:30 mins. ***

Jason Parxxz w/ Lord Colin Macintosh vs. Kody Rice – Rice apparently was a last second replacement for Nick Colucci who didn’t show up. Parxxz apparently is an American Idol reject—like we have enough of those running around. Crowd chants DO NOT SING. Kody chases him out of the ring before he can start singing badly. Slam by Rice, sideslam gets two. Kody with a body bump, splash for two. Parxxz with a yank to the corner, choke by Lord Mac, neck snap flip from Parxxz gets two. Knee whip by Parxxz, goes up, Rice tosses him off, splash in the corner, a second one is dodged, Parxxz chokes with the boot. Rice botches a move and just sits on him for two. Cody with clotheslines, spinning sideslam, Lord Mac hops on the apron, Rice rams Parxxz in the corner, charges, misses the second one, Parxxz rolls him up and puts his feet on the ropes for the pin. Sloppy match.

WINNER: Jason Parxxz pin -> 5:40 mins. ½*

Someone asks if Parxxz needs oxygen, I quip he wouldn’t need it if there was an indoor smoking ban in Wisconsin

BCW Tag Team Championship
(c)American History Next - “Metalhead” Steve Stone & Hardcore Craig w/ Crazed Girl vs. Chris Black & TC Washington – I dunno who this gal is, she was at the merchandise table earlier and now she’s wanting to fight people. Not trained to wrestle though. AHN jump Black & Washington before we could get a ring intro, Stone clotheslines Black out. Craig clotheslines TC. Stone throws Black into the post! Craig with a one knee cover and pull up. Stone tagged, headbutt to the arm. Stone runs his mouth, headbutt on TC, boot ram, Black struggles to get to his corner but that Crazed Girl rakes him on the back! Stone with a choke on TC, Craig with a chop! Craig boots TC, the Crazed Girl keeps taking cheap shots on Black. Stone gets an atomic drop, spinning neckbreaker, one foot cover gets two. Craig covers again but pulls him up and knocks Black off. Neckbreaker/chop combo gets two. Snap suplex by Stone gets two. Crazed Girl gets another cheapshot, Stone won’t pin TC as I yell just pin the guy already. Ref catches Crazed Girl taking another shot at Black as I yell at him to eject her from the ring. Stone with another choke, this ref is not taking charge. Neckbreaker/axe handle combo by AHN and they still pull him up. Shot at Black misses his target, TC gets a dropkick, Black slugs Stone, TC with a wheelbarrow facebuster, Black in, axe kick, TC with the Acid Drop! Crazed Girl hops on the apron, Black hits a superkick, TC hits a neckbreaker, TC pulls the ref over and shoves him down to count and he just calls for a DQ. LAAAAAAMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEE.

WINNERS and STILL CHAMPS: American History Next DQ -> 6:20 mins. *½

Was told later TC and Black have been having issues with this particular referee. This match was pretty much a squash for the champs much of the way until the cheap DQ.

Dale Ganger comes to the ring, wow. Crowd doesn’t seemed thrilled with him. Dale thanks everyone for supporting BCW. He says he’s going around the country and talks about the lawsuit from WWE. He’s been fighting it for 18 months, he’ll fight it to the very end to keep the AWA name and to make sure everyone in the locker room can keep entertaining the fans. He notes old AWA shows are airing on ESPN Classic that Vinnie Mac doesn’t own. Ummm…neither does Dale Ganger, that footage is actually owned by ESPN. Cause he’s involved in the lawsuit, he’s names a new commissioner, Mark Stewart. And the crowd boos the heck out of him after it’s announced that Frankie DeFalco & Jake “The Milkman” Milliman won the AWA World Tag Titles because someone was thrown over the top rope. Ugh, we still have that top rope BS going? Ya know it wouldn’t be necessary if they had padding around ringside instead of bare concrete. And really, there’s no reason NOT to have it. Stewart takes personal pleasure in giving the titles back to the former champs. Personal pleasure??? Frankie DeFalco comes out to respond and slugs Stewart. Jason Parxxz runs out to rescue Stewart and hits a LOW BLOW. Stewart with a LOW BLOW. Someone from the crowd jumps in with a kendo stick and whacks Parxxz. Stewart yells that DeFalco is off the show tonight and that other man is banned from the next show. Yeah like he can really ban the feds promoter. DeFalco answers well if he’s suspended, not a problem. Stewart leaves. The Russian Assassin comes out for a match against no one supposedly. DeFalco says he’s got a replacement opponent for the Assassin.

By the way, a few weeks later it was posted that the duo the belts were given back to, The Heartbreak Express - Sean & Phil Davis ended up turning around and vacating the belts cause the AWA wasn't paying what they promised to even cover ONE QUARTER of their expenses...like gasoline to make a 26-hour round trip. Geez, Stewart wasted his time making a fool out of himself with this stupid stunt.

Russian Assassin w/ Slim Jim McGuire vs. Keith “Venom” Walker – Well surprise surprise. The brawl starts in the crowd and Walker shoves him into a man’s boot! Hip toss Venom, armbar, scissors the arm and snaps back with it. Walker with an uppercut, chops, Slim trips Walker up allowing the Assassin to knee him in the back and dump him to the floor. Walker kicks him but shoulderblocks the post. Whoops. Assassin with a nerve hold, but Walker slugs him away, flying shoulderblock, elbow, running forearm. Walker backdrops the Assassin, Slim Jim jumps up, Walker SPEARS the Assassin and clobbers Slim Jim. Walker pulls Assassin up, SPEAR AGAIN, three count! Frankie throws Slim Jim in the ring…and Walker SNAPS INTO A SLIM JIM!

WINNER: Keith “Venom” Walker pin -> 5:25 mins. **

BCW Heavyweight Championship
(c)“Skullcrusher” Rasche Brown vs. Ricky Landell – Well this was also to be an AWA US title match but Landell lost the belt a few weeks ago. Landell gets the mike and claims Wisconsin residents aren’t educated. Well I think he’s an educated idiot. And he runs his mouth for the next five minutes or so. Brown comes out and says I’m your a-hole. Landell stalls like mad until we finally get a lockup and shove from Brown. Landell runs off but comes back in to get headlocked and taken to the mat. Brown with a shoulderblock. Landell wants the strength test but eyepokes him, chops from Landell have no effect but Brown’s chops literally SLAUGHTER Landell! Landell gets a chop block however and works the leg, makes a wish on the post. Landell pounds him on the floor, puts him in but gets chopped. Brown can’t carry the weight and falls down for two. Landell with a boot choke, and goes back to the leg. Landell with a dropkick to the leg for two. Brown gets up, clothesline gets two. Kneedrop from Brown gets two. Brown with a high knee in the corner, handspring splash gets two. Brown goes for the torture rack but Landell’s boot hits the ref and Landell kicks Brown, goes up but gets slammed off. Brown…SPEAR! Keith Walker comes out and pulls the referee to the floor! Brown glares at Walker, takes a swing but gets double chokeslammed. Landell gets up, hugs Walker, Walker doesn’t seem thrilled with him and double chokeslams him too! He leaves as the ref gets up and counts them both out.

NO WINNER: Double KO -> 16:15 mins. ***½

The ref should had just called it no contest due to the interference and been done with it.
Gee, couldn’t Keith Walker wait until after the match was over to make his confrontation? Walker gets booked against Landell at the next event.

Jason Dukes vs. Derek St. Holmes – Dukes is trying to be Buddy Rose. Well he’s not the first one who’s tried it. Dukes spews some nonsense about his “sexy body”. The robe comes off and its ugly as sin. Lockup, Derek with a trip, Dukes with an armbar, Derek with a scissors of the head and Dukes runs off. Dukes challenges Derek to a one-arm pushup contest, which Dukes does well but Derek can’t do it. Kick from Dukes, Derek slugs him, Dukes with a clothesline for two. Gut wrench suplex from Dukes, but Derek gets the ab stretch. Dukes tosses Derek out and the fight is on the floor! Dukes is rolling over the ENTIRE front row! Dukes back in, bodyscissors from Dukes, Derek gets out of it and rides him piggyback but gets backed into the corner. Dukes slaps the ab stretch back on, then goes to a gut nervehold. Shoveoff, Dukes pulls the straps down but Derek grabs him on the chest. Yeek! Dukes with a rollup using the ropes gets two but the ref caught him, Derek charges Dukes for a rollup and the pin.

WINNER: Derek St. Holmes pin -> 9:30 mins. ***¼

They proceed to auction off a manager slot for Honky Tonk Man, and the bids went up to $55. Honky comes out with the high bidder and they do the song and dance of his theme song. The crowd wants an encore. Honky says they’ll be one if he wins. Man, Honky as a face, much different from his WWE days.

Honky Tonk Man vs. Matt Longtime – Well it’s WWE legend versus a young lion, and I can pretty much predict what kind of match this is going to be. Matt avoids Honky for a good long while then finally locks up with him and goes to an armbar. Honky stomps the arm and Matt flees. Honky grabs the arm again, Matt pushes him to the corner, chokes and thumbs him in the neck. Honky thumbs him back however and Matt bails again. Honky chases and rakes him on the back. Honky thumbs him in the throat, he wants a kid to hit him? Honky puts him in the ring. Matt kicks, stomps and chokes away as I yell at him why is he holding back? Slam him, suplex him do something! Longtime chokes with the tape, rake, weak elbow gets two. Matt with a headlock, whip charge misses, Honky with a five punch, Matt pokes him however and fetches the guitar, Honky steals it after a kick, BOOM! Ref counts the fall anyway.

WINNER: Honky Tonk Man pin -> 12:10 mins. *

Yep, just as I thought, very old school and little action. Honky just didn’t bump at all. Any of you youngsters wanting to wrestle WWE legends and stuff, you won’t be able to do much with them cause they aren’t gonna bump like you can. As promised, the encore presentation was on!

The Verdict: Well was the wrestling action alone worth $20? I’m pretty sure if this event happened down south it would have trouble getting people to buy the tickets, since others have tried to raise ticket prices a few bucks and have their draws go down. The show seemed a little short too, cause only seven matches and the thing was over by 10pm with a start time of 7:30pm and intermission. But this is Wisconsin so things are probably different. Range of ringwork varied greatly as there were some real clunkers in the mix. I’ve seen better so I’m guessing this had to be a lower-key event. I can go no higher than…

Thumbs in the middle.



(Post a new comment)


[info]rabpid7
2008-04-18 08:07 am UTC (link)
Any of you youngsters wanting to wrestle WWE legends and stuff, you won’t be able to do much with them cause they aren’t gonna bump like you can.


maybe it is not that he cant bump, but maybe he does need to bump like a basketball to get the crowd into his match.

How many independant wrestlers have very long careers, not many because they destroy thier bodies and tear out thier backs with all thier gymnastic, flippy flippy high spot style of wrestling.

why have the majority of the well known wrestlers have such long careers and they have wrestled and traveled on the road constantly for many years? they know when and where to do things in a match to get the fans into thier match.

i have heard too many local wrestlers say, that so and so national stars are not good wrestlers, but in ten years, the national wrestler is till working and making money, and people know who they are.

in ten years very few of the local illinois wrestlers will be around unless some change thier style of wrestling and get properly trained on what a good match really is. ask someone in ten years who so and so in the local illinois scene was, and the fans will probally answer, so and so who???


(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]rap_sheet
2008-04-18 02:33 pm UTC (link)
Well...I think you missed it when I said that there wasn't one bodyslam or suplex used or even attempted in the match. That's pretty unusual.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]rap_sheet
2008-04-18 02:37 pm UTC (link)
And yes there are several people in the national feds that aren't very good...a lot of times Vinnie Mac signs people based on their look and size and not on their ability to wrestle.

The way I've been hearing people complain about flippie-floppers, I wonder how many of them are gonna shell out $60 to watch Great Khali vs. Big Show at Backlash.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]rabpid7
2008-04-18 05:52 pm UTC (link)
there are more to wrestling than flippers and giants, , to answer your question, i would say i would pay to see niether, if they did not know how to enage the audience.

i have seen many matches where the fans were wild for the action, and in some of those matches you would never see a body slam or a suplex.


(Reply to this)


Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…